This invention relates to packages, and more particularly this invention relates to a package for flowable material which can be converted to use as a container for actually using the flowable material.
Various flowable materials for different uses are commonly available and widely used. For instance, it is common practice to purchase potting soil, plant nutrient media, and the like, as well as so-called cat litter and other particulate materials used for other purposes.
Potting soil, for instance, is purchased in bags or other containers and is then filled into flower pots or the like for its ultimate use. Similarly, plant growth media are purchased in bags and transferred to flower pots, "flats", and other containers for sowing seeds therein or planting already growing plants therein.
In the case of cat litter, the material is commonly purchased in plastic or paper bags and transferred to a low, flat container such as a box or a plastic basin wherein domesticated cats are trained to relieve themselves. The contaminated litter is then gathered up and disposed of. This, of course, is a rather unsanitary condition.
Whatever the purpose of the flowable material used, there is great inconvenience in its method of use in that a separate receptacle must be provided and the package in which the material is purchased is usually destroyed, this being rather wasteful.
There is known in the art another plant growth vessel, this being disclosed in British Pat. Specification No. 1,365,913. This British patent discloses an elongated container having a plant growth medium therein. The container has a single longitudinal aperture in the top thereof for opening the package and providing one large growing area. This vessel is made of a thin walled material, generally being from 0.025 to 2.5 mm. Thus, the vessel is non-self-supporting and the vessel, once placed in a particular location, cannot be moved without seriously disturbing the contents.